Did you know that hairbrushes and combs are made for different uses? Believe it or not, your brush and your comb are tools that should not be used interchangeably. There are a bunch of different hairbrushes and combs out there - all made with different materials and with different builds, and each of them have their own respective use. For whatever style and purpose you're going for, grab the tool that best caters to your specific hair style and type.
There are two things you would want to factor in when choosing the right hairbrush and comb for your hair: the design and the material.
Hairbrushes
One of the most common and versatile hairbrushes men usually go for is the paddle brush. A paddle brush - or the pillow/cushion brush - is a large, flat and wide hair brush with plastic bristles sticking out of an air-filled cushion. It is a good foundational brush that detangles and smoothes out your hair, however, it can be quite the aggressive tool. More often than not, the trusty paddle brush can pull and tear, ultimately damaging your hair. Fortunately there are a handful of hairbrushes to choose from that caters to your hair.
For instance, brushes with natural bristles - like those made of boar hair - are a lot gentler on your hair and are great for distributing your hair's natural oils that are produced by your scalp. Using brushes with natural bristles will help make your hair look less greasy, give your hair a natural shine, and is ideal for using products - like dry shampoos and leave in conditioners - because they remove any product residue. You can purchase brushes with natural bristles here!
Contrary to the natural bristles, there are also synthetic bristles. Synthetic bristles are usually made from nylon or plastic and are generally spaced out throughout the brush more than the natural bristles. Because their bristles are more spaced out, they do a better job at detangling. If you like the feel of the synthetic bristles more, we recommend getting Denman's Vent Brush.
There are also combination brushes of both natural bristles and synthetic bristles - detangling and adding a nice shine as you brush, you get the best of both worlds. Combination brushes are a lot more versatile and work on all hair types.
Generally, when you're selecting a hairbrush, keep in mind that the rule of thumb is: the closer together the bristles are, the better they are for fine hair. Alternatively, the farther apart the bristles are, the better they are for thicker hair.
Combs
Like hairbrushes, combs can be differentiated between material and built. There are wide tooth combs, narrow tooth combs, and combs that can have both narrow and wide teeth. Wide tooth combs are good for wet hair because they detangle delicately. They're also ideal for when you apply conditioner or hair masks to evenly distribute the product. Narrow tooth combs, on the other hand, is used for precision and to divide your hair into straight lines. Combs that have combination narrow and wide teeth essentially have both builds on different ends of the comb.
What your comb is made of also makes a difference. Wooden combs, for instance, are great for draining any static from your hair. Static in the hair usually occurs with electric build up from extra electrons caused by friction or change in humidity. Carbon combs are heat resistant and also help with static in the hair. And the most common combs are made of plastic. Ideally, you would want to avoid plastic combs because most of them are of cheap material and don't last that long - the only exception, however, are plastic combs made of cellulose acetate. Cellulose acetate is derived from vegetable matter and is a lot stronger, durable, and better for the environment compared to other plastics. You can get yourself a variety of combs with us here at King's Crown.
When To Use a Brush And When To Use a Comb
Generally, if you have longer hair, you would want to primarily stick with the hairbrush, and if you have shorter hair, you would opt for the comb. For longer hair, as long as you brush gently, using the hairbrush to detangle should not tear or damage your hair. Of course, using a comb to detangle longer hair would be gentler than using a brush, but it will take longer and the comb might get caught in your hair. For detangling, combs will pass shorter hair a lot more easier than longer hair. Combs are also a lot better for precision styling because the teeth on the comb will leave your hair with sharper lines and a more crisp finish. Depending on how you would want to style you hair, its always a good idea to go for both the brush and comb - the brush would give a more general style and would distribute the product throughout the hair, but finishing off with the comb would give a more precise and detailed look.
In addition, combs should be used on wet hair because they're able to gently detangle your hair without breaking or tearing the hair shaft. Hairbrushes tend to be a lot more aggressive - especially on wet hair where the strands are a lot more delicate - and could risk breaking.
It is important to adopt the right tools that will cater to your hair because doing so would promote healthy hair and avoid any unnecessary breakage. Feel free to experiment with the different tools until you find the one that best works for you and your hair.